Canon EOS 700D/Rebel T5i In-Depth Review

June 2013: The Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i replaces the very short-lived Canon EOS 650D / T4i but is almost indistinguishable from it in terms of design, operation and specification. Our tests have found the image quality and performance of both cameras to be identical and they use the same batteries and accessories as well. Accordingly, this review is a very slightly modified version of the EOS 650 review we posted in the summer of 2012. We've retained product images of the EOS 650D where there's no meaningful change in design, and except where indicated, any comments in the body of this review which reference the Canon EOS 650D / T4i are equally relevant to the Canon EOS 700D / T5i and vis-versa.

The Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i is the company's latest addition to its novice-oriented 'Rebel' series. With more than two decades of continuous success in its film and digital incarnations, these little SLRs have been improved and refined to the point that Canon's biggest challenge seems to be finding new ways to distinguish its updated models. Place the new EOS 700D / Rebel T5i alongside its predecessor the EOS 650D and the differences are so minimal to be of little real importance.

Differences compared to EOS 650D

Real-time preview of Creative Filters in Live View mode

Redesigned new mode dial that turns 360 degrees

New 'upmarket' textured body finish.

As such, we're not going to waste much time in this review discussing the 700D alongside the 650D. As noted above, much of the substance of this review is adapted from our earlier coverage of its predecessor anyway. The EOS 700D replaces the short-lived EOS 650D but the EOS 600D lives on in the overall lineup, to effectively drop down a notch to the position currently occupied by the EOS 550D / Rebel T2i, which will be discontinued. So long, EOS 650D. We hardly knew you. We've known fruit flies live longer.

The 700D's headline specifications - 18MP CMOS sensor, 9-point AF sensor, 3:2 flip-out 1.04m dot screen are all familiar from the EOS 600D / Rebel T3i. Look a bit closer, however, and improvements have been made in each of these areas, with an eye both to more seasoned users who demand SLR performance and compact camera upgraders who want a familiar feeling interface.

It is largely because of the rise of large sensor mirrorless models that in today's market an entry-level DSLR must offer more than just high image quality to entice compact camera upgraders. In the age of YouTube, quick and easy access to video recording capability is a must. And for users that are far more familiar with composing via an LCD screen than a viewfinder, live view performance is of no small concern. Of course the camera must still offer users a path to a more traditional DSLR-like experience, without which, they would be hard pressed to resist the temptation of a physically smaller 'mirrorless' camera.

The EOS 650D was Canon's attempt to meet these challenges head on, with features aimed at improving its live view and video performance, which have been carried into the EOS 700D. One of the most noteworthy of these is the ability to offer continuous AF tracking while recording movies.

This is made possible by Canon's 'Hybrid CMOS' sensor that includes pixels dedicated to phase detection autofocus. The Hybrid AF system uses these to quickly set the lens to roughly the correct distance, then uses contrast detection AF to fine-tune focus. In theory, this should provide faster and more certain focusing for live view and video shooting compared to Canon models which rely on CDAF alone. You can read a more detailed explanation of this technology and see it in action on the AF performance page of the EOS 650D review.

The EOS 700D also features a touchscreen. This is of the capacitive (contact sensitive) rather than resistive (pressure sensitive) type, behaving like that of a typical smartphone. In Live View and Movie modes the screen can be used to specify the point of focus and (optionally) release the shutter. It also supports iPhone-like multi-touch and gestures. The rear screen has been redesigned with no air gap between the display and cover glass in an attempt to reduce reflections and improve visibility in bright light. There's also an anti-smudge coating which aims to reduce the impact of its newfound touch-sensitivity.

Other features of note

The EOS 700D uses Canon's DIGIC 5 processor (as seen in the S100 and G1 X compacts), which allows it to shoot at a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12,800 (25,600 extended), and allows lens-specific corrections for chromatic aberration and vignetting in the camera's JPEG processing. The 'conventional' autofocus system for eye-level shooting is borrowed from the EOS 60D, and uses nine focus points which are now all cross-type, with the center point offering additional accuracy with fast lenses.

The camera also has a built-in stereo microphone to provide sound for video, while retaining an external microphone input. The 'HDR Backlight' and 'Handheld Night Scene', modes combine multiple exposures to give a final processed image. A four-exposure 'Multi Shot Noise Reduction' setting is also available in the PASM modes.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens

Announced alongside the EOS 700D is the EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. With the camera itself offering little to distinguish itself from the EOS 650D, the option to buy the 700D with the new, stepper-motor-driven 18-55mm STM lens stands out as its main attraction. The lens offers better movie focusing and up to four stops of image stabilization, along with a close focusing distance of 0.25m and a circular seven-bladed aperture. An internal focus design means the lens does not extend when focusing. Optical performance remains essentially on par with its non-STM EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II cousin, however, as you can see in our lens comparison tool.

The STM designation is of particular interest to video shooters as it has the potential for quiet autofocus and improved AF speed. Those familiar with using just about any camcorder are accustomed to smooth and reasonably accurate autofocus, while the average SLR focuses slowly (indeed previous Rebels only focused when prompted by the user). Because an SLR can't use its phase-detect sensor while in Live View and video modes, the camera is usually left to struggle with contrast-detect autofocus. And, because non-STM lenses aren't designed with this focus method or for this purpose, the results were often jerky shifts in focus with focus motor noise audible on the video's sound track. Older Rebels were even known to gain up exposure during video if you asked them to focus.

The 700D is also available bundled with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, which offers an extended zoom range at a higher price. Canon's only other SLR lens with an STM motor is the EF 40mm F2.8 pancake. All are designed to take full advantage of the Hybrid AF system found in the EOS 650D, 700D and 100D, with quiet autofocus, helpful when shooting video, and full time manual focus.

The EOS 700D's Hybrid AF system is designed to work optimally with Canon's three-lens STM lineup which consists of an 18-55mm, 18-135mm and fixed 40mm pancake lens.

Compared to the previous EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens, the STM version is slightly longer to accommodate the internal focus system, and has a 'proper' manual focus ring at the front of the barrel that drive the focus group electronically. As with the older design it's physically shortest in the middle of its zoom range, and extends on zooming either to 18mm or 55mm (click here for a comparison at 55mm).

The STM focus motor is extremely quiet, indeed inaudible in video recording and, when using the optical viewfinder, impressively fast, offering a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. But switch the camera to live view and, just like the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, it slows down significantly. This is a unfortunate - Canon's live view AF system still distinctly lags behind the competition.

The filter thread on the STM lens remains 58mm. The inner-focus design means it doesn't rotate on autofocus, and allows the use of an optional petal-type lens hood rather (than the relatively ineffective bowl-type hood of its predecessor).

As we'd expect at this level, the lens mount is plastic. This is an EF-S, lens so only fits on Canon's APS-C cameras.

Comments

I have this camera. I bought it solely for the use of Astrophotography. But in my place,it has recently had been very very cloudy and rainy, It will continue for some days but I will go back to here to review what the resaults of this camera's potential for astrophotography. For the meantime I had been using it for landscape photography and Flash Photography(Night and food photographs).

But overall, It's a great camera. I have also tried others ranging from Compacts to DSLRs, The EOS 700D (Though a very old model already... from the time that this comment has been made) has been to my surprise, A great camera to invest in if you're either just starting out or having photography as a hobby.

Few hours ago I got its body and checked it with efs 18-55 , efs 17-85 and Sigma 50-500 .It works wonderful , do not hesitate to buy it , its price is very good .I had worked with 20 d for 10 years , this is much much better in image quality on high iso s. I love it , in low light , almost no light it works great ! Thanks Canon ;)

I just bought a Canon EOS T5I 700D but it came without an SD card.So I bought a transcend SDHC Class 4 16GB memory card however it could not fit into the slot for the memory card. I tried another memory card a high speed advance SDHC card it could also not fit in. Is there any reason why I should be having that challenge?

I'm using Canon EOS 700D and dang I love this camera touch screen and the live view focus accuracy when I mount it on tripod to take our family photos. Pictures are 99% sharp unlike my past Sony SLT A33 that churned out soft photos over various Sony lenses. The camera help to stop me from migrating to full frame. The only drawback is this camera with the 18-135mm STM is 1.5kg and its a great pain to lug this around Paris.

I am graduating from a bridge camera to a DSLR. Have been a hobby photographer for many years primarily doing landscape photography but I do it only when on a vacation that would be twice a year. I was a little confused whether to buy a Canon 700D or a Nikon D5300. I have always used Canon cameras before and after going thru many reviews comparing the two cameras I am not wiser. I also understand that once one buys a DSLR one continues to buy cameras of that family so that it can save money on lenses. Assuming that the quality of photos is not much different in the two cameras is the touch screen in 700D so useful that I should buy a Canon or the WIFI-GPS so important in the Nikon. As there anything else that help me decide between the two. Your advice would be most helpful.Tx. You can reply directly on my mail - drkpsanghvi@gmail.com

since u have been using canon , it is better to go for 700d as u r familiar with canon system and picture style and may have canon lenses with you. i find canon 700d is nice cam with cleaner sharper image with better color than nikon.

Nikon always have bean a crap for landscapes...I mean in case we talking about cheaper model DSLRs. Nikons green color is absolute joke and ISO stuck ....stay with canon...Nikon is great for moving objects r portraits...but as a landscape photographer I will never ever go for Nikon unless I can buy D4.

I would go for the Canon if you have prior experience with those cameras. Also, the Nikon lens screw on "backwards" - well, at least the one I used. Their customer support was abysmal in 2012 when I was working for a company that had a problem with one of their recent DSLRs. At the time I was trying to use the company camera (a Nikon) to take product shots but was having many issues so I brought my Canon 7D to work everyday and shot them with that.

canon 600d or 700d ?i have been carefully seeing 1000s of photos taken by 600d and 700d on flickr and other review sites including this top cam site, in review images 600d looks better on most parameters notably sharpness and color but on flickr photos 600d pix looks a bit less sharp to 700d pix which is more evident on night landscapes shots.Especially a few shots on 700d plus canon 18-135 of hongkong night landscape is very sharp with great color...which none of nikon, sony or pantex match...i m in dilemma , can the 600d with 18-135 canon match 700d?experts are requested to clear the doubt, thanks!

An outstanding review as usual. I just wish camera makers would let cameras be cameras and camcorders be camcorders. All I want is a camera. Take away the video mode gubbins and we would see a big drop in price. I can buy a pocket camcorder if I need urgent video. Why stick it in a camera at all? Better buffers could be included and also better features by knocking out the video stuff. Well, that's what I think anyway.

blah blah blah ..cannon stays cannon ..all the new shiny freaks will rush on buying a camera that is basically the same as the one they had 3 years ago .no true innovation from cannon for a long while now .

A nice camera that replaced my 600D after it ingested yellow steam on a volcano!The camera does everything I ask of it including astro photography, and the touch screen is used far more than I thought it would be, all in all an excellent camera.

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The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In this final part, we look at entry-level mirrorless cameras

The holidays are a great time to take pictures — and they're a great time to get a camera for yourself or for a loved one. With more than 50 cameras going through the hands of the DPReview team over the year, we've seen it all (or so we think). Based on our collective knowledge we hope this guide will help you make an informed decision on which camera will fit your needs. In this penultimate part, we look at consumer-level DSLRs.

Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been looking into how lenses score on specific cameras, and most recently they've been examining Canon's latest SLR, the EOS 700D / Rebel T5i. In an ongoing article they investigate how 130 lenses from Canon, Carl Zeiss, Samyang, Sigma, Tamron and Tokina measure up on the 700D's 18MP sensor. As this is essentially a variant of the sensor used in every Canon APS-C camera since the EOS 7D in 2009, the article could be of interest to a lot of Canon users. Click through for the links.

We've updated our review of the Canon EOS 700D / EOS Rebel T5i with lens data and analysis of the camera's EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit zoom, as usual tested in partnership with DxOMark. We've also looked at the effectiveness of its IS system and shown an example of its AF performance in video mode. As this lens is about the only change of significance with the EOS 700D release, we thought we'd incorporate our findings directly inside the review for your convenience. Click through to find out what this updated kit zoom offers.

Just Posted: Our review of the Canon EOS 700D / EOS Rebel T5i. The 700D may be a near-identical twin of the short-lived EOS 650D, but it's still a worthy option for novice DSLR upgraders, combining high image quality and an articulated LCD with a comprehensive touchscreen interface. This new model also ships with an STM version of the 18-55mm kit zoom, providing another welcome option for faster, silent AF. What else does the 700D have to offer? Read our review to find out.

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